Christmas Cheer

The holiday is fast approaching, and I want everyone to know it has been cold here at my house. I am busy working on Christmas presents. I am making jewelry for the girls in my family. I will post pictures when I get them ready but not until after Christmas. But I want to take the time to wish everyone the comes by to visit A Very Merry and Happy and Peaceful Christmas or Whatever Holiday you celebrate. Thanks for coming by and reading my little blog. May each and everyone of you Have a Blessed New Year and you most important wishes be granted.

The Winner IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a winner for my charm give away and It is Francine C. She wins all three charms. I am so happy that she came by my blog and left her comment. I had about 3 or 4 people that said they could not leave a comment. So I am going to tell how it is done. You must go to the bottom of the post you want to comment on and click on comments and a new page with or without comments will come up. Go to the white box and type in your comment. When you are finished you must choose a profile go to the place that says "Comment as (box) select profile and choose your profile and make sure it shows up in the box as the profile you have chosen the background color is blue and then you must click Post Comment.
It will be put on the list to be moderated as I moderate before publishing because I dont want to get rated. If you had trouble posting a comment go and try to post on this one or The Last Word to try it out and if it doesnt work then let me know okay.

The Last Word

This is the Last Word. As usual part of my mind was in a far away land and my body here at the computer. I forgot to put a deadline on the Give Away Contest. I am going to post some DOD Charms the first or second so you just have a week to leave the words of wisdom, praise, a good yelling at or whatever turns floats your boat. Be talking to you soon.

Charm Give Away

Well friends today is another day of this adventure call Life. So far it has been quiet and warm here in the Drought Ridden Southwest. Our state has been plagued with large grass fires and many homes damaged in the eastern part of the state and a few loss of lives. We are starting fall and the temps have dropped considerably but still unseasonably in the mid to high 90's with lots of sunshine. But enough of the boring weather. My grandson Ryan is recovering from a motorcycle accident and seems to be getting some better (I hope). But at 27 he is invincible and invisible, I hope he realizes he is neither after this accident.

I am in a group called Art Charms that swap charms with different themes and I love the group they are a chatty and fun group. We are just finishing a swap called Going Native that was wonderful, we could use bones, sticks, feather, or whatever we wanted so we had to keep in here in the US not International like most of our swaps. I received my charms from the Going Native and they are really wonderful, and well crafted. Our next swap celebrates the Hispanic Celebration Day of the Dead. This is such a cheerful theme for the days after Halloween and you can use Halloweens ideas to incorporate with these Catarina, and Skellies all dressed up in their finery for bracelets. necklaces rings, and earrings. My next post will show some of my stuff for this swap. Last year I made a charm bracelet for DOD and sold it right off my arm so I came home and made a DOD bangle and I still have that one. At chat on Thursday I mention that I was going to have a give away on my blog and I am just getting around to posting it.

You will notice that there is a picture of three pieces and these are the give aways. One is definitely a charm and the other two can be used as charms or chain connectors it is all up to the winner. (Drum Rollllllllll) All you need to do is leave a comment for the blog to get in you name in the drawing and a random name will be chosen for the winner. Ready on your mark get set go. Now it is up to you. Have fun and smile, laugh and dream.

A Day in the life of a RETIRED Teacher

Well on September 7, 2011 my youngest grandson Ryan had a motorcycle accident and had a head and eye injury and we have had him in the hospital twice since that time. But until we see the Brain DR. tomorrow we just know that right now he is doing better and is at home with his mom and dad. I have been doing a some of jewelry, but this summer it has been so hot I haven't done much but try to stay cool. I have decided to do a contest for my blog visitors that leave commments about my jewelry. To be announced later after I finish this latest charm swap I am in for the Art Charms group.
I want to start doing some polymer clay I am doing some research on it as it has changed so much since 80's when I made my chili necklaces. There are so many different kinds and brands now that are available here in the BIG O. Really have found a lot of information on the web and have a couple of good books. I have even gotten some Faux Bone to work with and I am excited about that also. I will keep you posted on the latest undertakings, and the good work and the screw ups also.

This is just one of the lovely door prizes that I won while hopping from one blog to another in this lovely month of February. I had so much fun visiting other peoples blogs. Monique Kleinhans is the creator of these cute cards. The bottom has the cutest saying in it it is attributed to a 5 year old child Ian Hobson and it says "You make me smile all over my face."
I just love it. If you have the time I suggest that you hop over to Monique's blog http://www.theilightifind.blogspot.com and see all the great things she has there then pop over and see her Etsy shop.

Thank You Monique for the great prize. I love the three cards

My Door Prize Winnings

ONE WORLD ONE HEART

I am Lady Faith Barbara Branson and I joined the One World One Heart blog give away. I am excited aboout this as I have been told the is the 5th and final year it will be held. If you click one the picture logo it will take you to it. It really should say International, because people can enter from all around the world. I want to tell you a little about my self. I am a jeweler and an artist. I love drawing and painting. I discovered the world of ATCs a few years ago and have enjoyed doing the paintings and drawings in this small format. I am also a jeweler. In years past I did jewelry mostly in Lost Wax Casting. But with the passage of time and teaching I discovered I only had time for forging and fabrication and repurposing old jewelry into new pieces. Repurposing the old watches, necklaces and bracelets is really fun. I will be giving away this lovely pin to some Royal Person at the end of one week from today that comes and leave a comment. So be sure to leave a comment if you stop by. The picture of the pin is at the bottom of the blog just keep going.

The 5th of December I decided I needed to take a break from making jewelry 7 or 8 hours a day.  I was getting ready for Christmas.  Then as ususal with vacations the Holidays came and went and I was passing my time reading my books and magazines.  I had ordered from Amazon the book "Making Mixed-Media Art Charms and Jewelry," written by Peggy Krzyzewski and Christine Hansen, and it is a short book and one that you can read from cover to cover in one setting.  I liked it so well I have now read it 3 or 4 times and gotten some new ideas, and recalled some old ones I had forgotten about.  It is a very good read and one you can read and enjoy and it is thoroughly informative on technique.  If you are new to making charms or jewelry it is a must for the beginner and intermediate jeweler.  I am in an ART CHARM group with these 2 ladies and although we live hunderds of miles apart I love being in swaps with them and seeing what they have done in the Photo Albums.  It is great fun and very exciting to see what we get in each swap.  We always have a big group in the swap.  Right now we have sign up going on for a Steampunk and Found Objects.  So far we have 27 or 28 participants and I am working on my charms now when I am not blogging.  I can't wait to see what my 28 charms will be.  I am thinking that this time I will put them on a necklace instead of a bracelet.  I will put in my slide show when I do.

Once a Upon a Time

One day when I was 5 years old, my grandmother, a manager of an exclusive dress shop, came home with a pirate's treasure in a paper bag.  In that bag were diamonds, emeralds, rubies, gold and silver.  All broken or returned jewelry from the store that couldnt be sold.  My, my did I have a good time.  For days, weeks, and months I played with these things.  I would dress up with all my jewels and play for hours.  Then I got a little older and discovered Wackers 5 &10 cent store and their diamond, emerald, and ruby rings.  Then F. W. Woolworth's made an appearance on the scene.  A new store for me to shop for the treasures of a lifetime.  More rubies, diamonds, and emerald rings, earring, brooches and last my not least bracelets and necklace sets. It was like I had a my summer days planned out.  I remember the rings and bracelets especially as I loved those the best.  I remember dressing up like a gypsy will all my jewelry, a long flowing skirt, a scarf around my head playing at telling fortunes for hours.  The rings cost 10 cents and 2 cent tax.  I would wear them until my entire finger was green, then I would clean the green off and paint the inside with clear nail polish I was good for another month.  One day my great grandmother was give me 25cents and we walked to town for her to pay a bill and me to spend my money.  It was a nice warm sunny morning about 9:15 a.m.(shops opened earlier then) and she gave my 25 cents on the corner of 4th and Grant and I was to meet her back at the corner in 30 minutes (I had to hurry there were so many to choose from) but I had my eye on this special ruby and brass ring so I ran off down the street.  My great grandmother told me that my money was burning a hole in my as I was fanning my hand all the way to Wackers almost at the end of the block.  She said she laughed so hard she nearly fainted.  But off I went running down the street to buy my special ruby ring and I thought I look just like a rich lady when we met back at the corner.  Wackers really had the prettiest rings I was sure of that as they nearly got all my money.  Visting with Brenda Sue at http://www.bsueboutiques.com/ this week made think of all the treasures I had access to at the time and the fun I had with my part of it.  Brenda Sue at http://www.bsueboutiques.com/ is having a Challenge: Five and Dime Challenge Part Two, Brooches and Earrings sets.  If you want go take a look at her website and get the idea and join the challenge.  She is a delightful person and really does some fine designs and her how to videos really inspire her.

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year

Well, we just 3 more shopping days left for shopping each and everything, the food, the presents, and the normal things that make a household run.  I know everyone is probably running around like chickhens with their head cut, and then wrapping and cooking, the unwrapping, cleaning up the mess, eating and playing games, then falling down to sleep after it all over.  Sometimes Christmas is like taking a long vacation, packing and traveling, getting there running doing everything you planned to do  packing again to travel home, unpacking and collasping to rest up from the vacation.  I dont know for sure how the weather is were all you friends live.  For my weather report today it was dry and 77, forcast for tomorrow it is going to be 79 with no rain in sight and a little wind, but then on Wednesday it is going to be cooler with a high of 74 and on Thursday it will be 72 then on Christmas Eve it themperature will drop 20 degrees and it will only be 52 with a very cold night for us and only 49 degrees for us on Christmas Day.  So we are not suffering any ill effects from bad weather only we have been withou moisture for more than 70+ days without rain. 

I do hope everyone that reads this blog has a blessed and happy Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.  Thank you for reading my poor weather report just know I am not unhappy with our weather I havent had to dig out a coat yet just a little sweater or sweathshirt. 

First day of November 2010

Well, I missed blogging totally in September, October, and now I am catching up (I hope).  In September I went to my high school reunion.  I have to admit that I was disappointed the events were great, but everyone started leaving by 9:45-10:00 like old people.  I will admit that we are on the down hill slide as this was our 55th reunion but my goodness find a chair and visit until you fall asleep and then go to your room and go to bed.  There wasn't any music, so no one could complain that the music was to loud on  Saturday night, but after the group picture it seems that everyone thought that it was signal to go home.  I drove to the reunion and I made a journey of over 400 miles to see everyone and I didn't have time to visit with everyone.  However, I have to say that we all or almost all of us looked great even though we are a little long in the tooth.  All in all I had a great time.  I even sold some of my jewelry.  That thrilled me very much, as I had taken it to just show everyone what I was doing.  In October I had a very good month, it seems that last year I made contact with a girl friend from the 2nd grade and 3rd grade in Luxora, Arkansas.We hadn't seen each other in 55 years but she remembered me.  We have been planning to meet all year but due to the health of family members on both sides, we couldnt get it done until the last week in October, and we met in Eastland, Texas and had such fun laughing and talking about when we use to play everyday down at the levee.  So carefree and fun.  We took dancing together and did almost everything together for those 2 years and for all the years in between after the war I dreamed and hoped I would get to see Clementine again.  I am so happy we got together again.  It was like we had never been apart.  Nothing seemed changed we could talk about everything even politics and not get excited because we had opposing views.  We just laughed and decided that all need to go and start over with a new congress on both sides of the isle.  Well fall weather is here on us this morning here in the big O it was cool and only warmed up to 70, going to be cooler tomorrow.  I am adding new jewelry all along besure and check it out.

Getting ready for fun

Summer is quickly winding down.  It was a very fun summer, and very hot after a cool start.  July was a cool month for us here on the northeastern corner of the Chihuahuan Desert but it was pure chaos around here went to Eastland twice this summer and one time I had Princess Penny and Grand Duchess Faith and we stayed a week.  My car got over heated on the trip when we took the girls to camp and I had to buy a new one because of trouble in Saturn Land of Nevermore.  I got a Fusion SEL a four cylinder and it has lots of nice extras.  My dogs are having fun this summer playing and going for some rides.  I have been busy making jewelry and getting ready to go to my high school reunion.  I am making big plans to have some fun. I hope I get to see a lot of  people that I haven't seen before.  Time marches on and we are all getting older. I hope everyone has a good time, but you that is optional it is kind of like attitudes you can choose to have fun or not.  I choose to have fun.  I talked to Linda Sumeral Gruer the other day and I am going to work the registration table for a while Friday afternoon.  I am having fun making the jewelry I have enter some art in Cloth Paper Scissors magazine Artisans Search 2011 some of  Dance with A Dolly series and a pin take a look at my jewelry and see them or go to www.clothpaperscissors.com/content/ArtisansSearch2011.aspx
and take a look at them.  By now.

Rainy Friday

Living on the North Easter edge of the Chihuahuan Desert rain is a rare occurance and today is one of those rare occurances, but rain is a good thing, the day is cool and lovely.  You know life is good when you can appreciate a little bad weather or maybe it is really true that I was born when the earth was cooling.  According to the newspapers and tv all fireworks displays, the parade and all 4th of July festivities have been cancelled, well so much for that, part of the child hiding in this Old Model '37 Body, I cant even get the muse musing on how to come up with an alternative, maybe next weekend.  The Queen and the Queen Mother took the Grand Duchess to Church Camp in Big Sandy, Texas alllllllllllllllllll the way across Texas to just 80 miles west of the Louisanna State Line.  We went first to Queens's Castle in Eastland, and stayed the night.  Then on down the trail again for another 4 hours to Big Sandy.   The Grand Duchess had to check in by 3:00 p.m. and boy was she excited.  We got her there and checked in and looked over the camp and "store" and left money in her account.  The dormitories were big buildings with open screened windows around all four sides, no air conditioners in sight.  I would tell you it was hot, but the flies and other flying insects could only soar about 4 inches off the ground, the air was so thick.  Big Sandy is in the Piney Woods of Texas.  The town is about a blink in size, blink and when you have open your eyes you missed your turn for I-20.  The Queen and Queen Mother left her for a week of uninterrupted pleasure for the camper and the the Queen and I.  For the first day of freedom, the Queen, and I wandered around the castle (Eastland) in pj's and read, and napped, the next day we waited on the plummer and then went to Weatherford, a 2 blinker town and looked around at little stores on the square.  I indulged my whimsey and went to the bead store (of course) and on down the street to where the Queen has made friends with the people that own the store.  Then on to the Tesky's Western store in the 2 blinker town, and boy did we find a sale, they had two racks with 95% off of the merchandise can you believe it.  The Queen spent $200 and saved $1200.  An example I bought a dress for $7.80 the original price was $159.95.  Now why I did now buy the other one I dont know, it was to small, but my thinking cap was askew and I didnt thing about the material in the dress being used another way for all sorts of ideas.  Of course I have kicked myself several times, and now try not to think about the stupid thing I did of not picking up stuff for the materials to be used.   Before the ten days were up, I felt like we were gypsies running up and down the highway from 2 blinkers to cities like Ft. Worth.  As the time grew less and less, I began to pack my treasures and trash and stash of goodies and found that I had a car full.  We treked back to camp to pick up the two girls and came back to the castle, to clean it up and close up for a couple of weeks.  Then back to our own 2 1/2 blinker, well  maybe 3 blinker because we do have Michaels,  Hobby Lobby , Lowes and Home Depot here. The trip was really a fun time by all I hope.  We had some mishaps, but nothing we couldnt fix I hope. 

I have added some hair jewelry that I make for the Grand Duchess' birthday, that was this week and I hope that she enjoys it and I hope that each and everyone of the readers, followers enjoy looking at it.  Come back from time to time and see what I do sometime when I am not putting on all my jewelry, and full skirts and running up and down the highway in the caravan.

Hot Summer Days

Well it is hot today, nearly 100 degrees, but the last few day it has been hotter than this.  I love spring and summer.  I love the few flowers that I have in my containers are blooming.  In the evenings here in the desert it is very nice outside on the patio.  I have been doing a lot of ATCs some have been published here on my blog and some have not as of yet.  I have gotten a couple or three new stamps for my metal work and lots of new ideas.  Been off my feed a little since Mother's Day and now I am getting back on track.  My steampunkers mother and grandmother and I are planning a trip to take the Grand Duchess to church camp for a week and we are going to stay at the house on the golf course near the lake.  Planning on taking the dogs but at this time I am not sure.  When we come back I am going to make some more jewelry.  While we are there going to practice some zentangling.

My blog teacher

Here is a picture of my friend and blog teacher Valerie.  She is on an art retreat and these are her journal pages that she created.  Her smile covers her head to toe and make her eyes sparkle like diamonds.  With a smile like that she could charm a rich man out of his riches.  I take my hat off to her for all the help she has been to me in learning how to set up my blog and for the great art work  of my banner.  I say thank you now Valerie from the bottom of my heart.  A true friend indeed.

My Two Steampunkers

These lovely steampunkers are my granddaughter and my great granddaughter.  The one in the red is Princess Penelope, and the one in the blue is Grand Duchess Faith. Grand Duchess Faith is in the seventh grade and Priny Penny is in the third grade.  These two lovely ladies, are the light in my life.  We have such fun together finding out trivia about eyelash mites, and dead skin cells and other interesting stuff.  We have such fun crafting stuff witches bottles for our potions, schrinky dinks, and atc cards.  Sometimes we even work on our journals.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Well, here we are again, and Lady Raindrop (Rainy) is telling me it is to windy to go out today it will mess up her hair.  I am not sure it matters to her at all whether mine is messed up .  She and Lord John (Alfalfa) were going to see Sir Charles (Scruffy) to find out more about his new invention the automated tunnel.  It seems he has invented a macine that you can walk through on one end and come clean and groomed beautifully on the other end.  Well they told me they want to see it work before they get to interested.  They want all the particulars before they have a try.  Lady Raindrop is the most particular after all she is a lady.  However, Lord John is pretty snobby also, as his line is full of champions and he considers himself to the finest in his line.  Master Forrest (Buckwheat) doesn't have any interest he just wants to play and nap.  He had a hard night, the thunderstorms, and wind bothered him and he didnt sleep well.

Monday April 20, 2010

Well, I want to thank everyone for coming by to read my stuff and stopping to see my blooming collections of art and jewelry.  I especially want to tell all of you followers thanks for following the ramblings of mine.  I try to think of something funny to say, and it come out like a stuffed shirt in writing but now if I was talking it would be a different story, as my mouth works faster than my fingers do and when I am typing ( maybe I just need a keyboarding course they dont call it typing anymore) I catch myself before I have said the wrong thing or used bad grammer or some dumb thing.  Well thanks again for following me down the trail and I will do my best to keep it as entertaining as the old fingers will let me.

Sunday April 18, 2010

Well, it is nearly over for this month golly how the time slips away.  Have you ever gone to the mail box not expecting anything but bills, it seem like that is all I ever get sometimes a few ATCs or something else that I have traded for.  Well yesterday, there was this little bundle in my mail box, and I was suprised when I saw the return address it was from Sandy Popa.  I was excited to see what it was I thought she had sent me some trading cards or something.  Well, I started unwrapping, unwrapping, and unwrapping, and there low and behold were wonderful little jewelry parts, little rhinestones, charms, bits of chain, some tiny sterling beads and charms, and a chocker style sterling necklace, I cant list all of the items here.  She also added a note that said it was a RAK (for those not in the know that is a Random Act of Kindness).  Well only one other time have I been surprised like this was about 4 or 5 years ago, it was late at night when I went to get the mail and out side my door was the large grocery sack full of interesting beads and parts of jewelry in an (old) mustard jar, and a really old Alka Selzer bottle the tall one that the tablets fit in and small glass pill bottles filled with beads, and I have never found out who left it on my door step but I am glad they did.  But Sandy was sweeter and let me know who gave the RAK and I cant imagine doing something like this for someone you dont even know more than through the email such thoughtfullness from a friend.  It made my day you can not believe how happy it made me.  If you check out the jewelry, you will find I have added two more items.  One a Mary Engelbriet (spelling) beaded band watch, and my new bracelet I have been working on for a week.  I hope all enjoy.